Tops



R. A. KELLEY April 2, 1963 TOPS Fi led Feb. 15, 1960 3,083,498 TOPSRichard A. Kelley, 174 Taft Ave., Portland, Maine Filed Feb. 15, 1960,Ser. No. 8,775 3 Claims. (CI. 4665) The present invention relates totops and to the bodies thereof.

For many years, tops of various types have proved to be popular toys andthe principal objective of the present invention is to provide a topwhose pivot is part of a writing element and is so arranged anddisposed, preferably adjustably, relative to the axis of the body that,when the top is in use, its path is recorded by its pivot as a series ofinterconnected loops.

In accordance with the invention, this objective is attained byconnecting a writing element, usually and pref erably a pen of theball-point type, to the body so that the axis of its writing pivot meetsthe axis of the body at an angle that is a small departure from astraight angle whereby the path of the pivot, as the top is spun on asheet of paper, for example, is recorded in the form of interconnectedloops. In order that the path may be varied, the connection between theaxes is adjustable and it is preferred that the body be in the form of afly wheel through which the recording of the path of the top may bewatched.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodimentof the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novelfeatures, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a top in accordance with the invention, as seenfrom above, and

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 22 ofFIG. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the body ofthe top is indicated at 5 and is shown as a fly wheel of transparentstock. The fly wheel 5 has an axial hole 6 in which there is anchored anannular, resiliently deformable member 7 conveniently in the form of arubber sleeve.

As illustrative of a writing element, there is generally indicated aconventional pen 8 of the ball-point type whose ball 9 is a pivot forthe top and whose holder 10 is polygonal in cross section. The hole 6and sleeve 7 of the fly wheel are dimensioned to permit the pen holder10 to be inserted therethrough and to be frictionally held thereby. Thecross sectional shape of the holder 10 ensures that when the top is spunby means of the holder, an effective driving connection therebetween isestablished without the necessity of compressing the sleeve 7 to thenite tat-es Patent Patented Apr. 2, 1963 extent that would otherwise berequired. It is desired that the holder 10 be capable of being movedslightly out of a position perpendicular to the fly wheel 5 and toremain in a selected position during use as it is the angularrelationship, other than a straight angle relationship, between the axisof the wheel 5 and that of the pen that results in a path in the form ofconnected loops and determines the particular form thereof. In FIG. 2,this angular relationship is exaggerated but the axis as established bythe wheel 5, when rotating, is indicated by the broken line 11, whilethat defined by the pen 8 is indicated at 12. Since these axes do notdefine a straight angle, the ball travels along a path recorded on asuitable surface as a series of interconnected loops visible through thefly wheel as the series is formed.

I claim:

1. A top comprising an elongated holder of polygonal cross section andincluding a writing element as the surface engaging pivot, and a bodymember including an axially located annular member of deformable stockthrough which said holder extends and which frictionally engages saidholder, said member maintaining said holder at a predetermined anglerelative to the axis of said mem her, as it rotates, such that the pathof said element is in the form of connected loops.

2. A top comprising an elongated holder of polygonal cross section andincluding a writing element of the ballpoint type as the surfaceengaging pivot, and a body member including an axially located annularmember of deformable stock through which said holder extends and whichfrictionally engages said holder, said member maintaining said holder ata predetermined angle relative to the axis of said member as it rotates,such that the path of said element is in the form of connected loops.

3. A top comprising an elongated holder that is polygonal in crosssection and that includes a writing element as the surface engagingpivot, and a fly wheel including an axial sleeve of deformable stockthrough which said holder extends and which frictionally engages saidholder, said sleeve maintaining said holder at a predetermined acuteangle relative to the plane defined by said wheel as it rotates suchthat the path of said element is in the form of connected loops.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS541,802 Barus June 25, 1895 1,319,123 Simon Oct. 21, 1919 FOREIGNPATENTS 591,256 Germany Jan. 18, 1934

1. A TOP COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLDER OF POLYGONAL CROSS SECTION ANDINCLUDING A WRITING ELEMENT AS THE SURFACE ENGAGING PIVOT, AND A BODYMEMBER INCLUDING AN AXIALLY LOCATED ANNULAR MEMBER OF DEFORMABLE STOCKTHROUGH WHICH SAID HOLDER EXTENDS AND WHICH FRICTIONALLY ENGAGES SAIDHOLDER, SAID MEMBER MAINTAINING SAID HOLDER AT A PREDETERMINED ANGLERELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF SAID MEMBER, AS IT ROTATES, SUCH THAT THE PATHOF SAID ELEMENT IS IN THE FORM OF CONNECTED LOOPS.